by Leah Burke
“Well, remember what I told you about cases, sweetheart. It’s usually very cut and dry. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”
“But think about it. According to forensics, the body was dumped in the park at night. They happen to find the body less than twenty-four hours later, and they arrest a suspect within two days? How would they have even found the body so fast? I was there, and it was not obvious that there was a body.”
“Well, you said yourself it was on a road, right? Or were the tire tracks out of place?” Howard asked.
“No, he was on the side of an access road. He was buried in a pile of garbage and old appliances. It was obvious that it had been there a while. But I know that the rangers are involved somehow.”
“Well, when you think about it, it was most likely the rangers who found the body in the first place. Are you sure that you’re not assigning guilt to people who are already there?”
“But the evidence I found pre-dates the body being found. The rangers were by the crime scene before I or the police got there.” Marissa started to get annoyed. Was he dismissing her case now?
“Look, I know that you have good instincts. But you need to find something more concrete. You can’t go to the police with what you have right now. I’m not saying there isn’t something fishy, but you have to do more.”
“If you were in my situation, what would you do? If you had a solid hunch, what would be your next step?”
Howard thought for a moment. “Well, if it were me, I would try to find a connection between the rangers and the victim. The question that you have to ask yourself is, why would they dispose of the body?”
“As far as I can tell, there is no connection between the rangers and the victim.”
“Well, there’s your answer,” Howard replied.
“So you’re saying that I should just give up?” Marissa felt defeated.
“That depends. Are you saying that you have exhausted all of your resources? You’re absolutely sure that there isn’t a connection?”
Marissa thought about it for a second. “Well, I guess I can’t say with absolute certainty.”
“Then there you go. If there is nothing connecting the rangers to the victim, then your evidence is most likely irrelevant. Unless you can find a valid reason for them to want to hide the body, then you are probably creating a false narrative.”
Marissa felt a little better. She knew she was right to call him. “Thanks, Dad. You always know how to keep me on track.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, I have to get ready for some concert or something that your mother is dragging me to. Let me know how everything goes.”
“Of course. I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, sweetie.” Howard hung up the phone.
So, how was she going to get evidence that linked Burton to the ranger station? She would have to go back there, but how? She couldn’t really use her birds as an excuse, not after she tipped her hand to Nash already. She also couldn’t get a warrant or go to the police, as she was operating well outside her limits. The evidence that she did have was technically illegal, so that was out of the question.
At this point, an idea popped into her head. It was going to be risky, but she didn’t really have a choice. No matter which way she went, it would mean trouble. Either getting an earful from Harlan, the police, or getting arrested. Or, she thought, I could just drop the whole thing and pretend it never happened…
Nah. She was too much of her father’s daughter to do that. Plan C it was. She went over to her laptop and started figuring out her plan of action.
Chapter 11
“I don’t think I should.” Thomas didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
“Come on, why not? I’ll pay you extra for your trouble. It’s no problem, I swear.” Marissa could tell that she was making a hard sell.
“But why can’t you tell me what’s going on? I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“Who says you’re going to get in trouble? You’re not doing anything wrong.” Marissa realized that she sounded a bit sketchy, but she pressed on anyway. “Come on, Thomas, this will really help me out.”
“So, if I got this correct, you want me to take you to the park, after hours, and then pick you up several miles down the road once you call me?” Thomas sounded suspicious of her plan.
“Exactly. It’s as simple as that.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to do something illegal?”
“I’m not doing anything illegal, Thomas, trust me.” It was a lie, but she really needed someone she could trust. “Look, I’m going to head down there tonight with or without you, so you can either help out a friend or leave me hanging.” Marissa was tired of arguing. Could she just take a taxi down there? It seemed like a longshot.
Thomas paused on the other end. It was obvious he was wrestling with the idea. “I’ll take you, but you have to tell me exactly what’s going on. Otherwise I won’t.”
“Trust me, Thomas, you’re better off not knowing anything.”
“Okay, well, enjoy your night excursion,” Thomas replied. Was he really about to hang up on her?
“Wait, wait. Okay. I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you that this is related to the Burton case, and I may do something that is a bit…questionable, to say the least.”
“I knew it. You’re breaking into the ranger’s station, aren’t you?”
Marissa was shocked, was it really that obvious? “What? What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I go to the crime scene instead?” She tried to lead him off the trail.
“I’m not stupid, Marissa. I know that you think something is up with the rangers and this case. No one collects tie clips.” He had a point there.
“Okay, fine. But you have to promise me that you won’t do anything. I don’t want you getting involved.”
“You just want me as an accessory, is that it?” Thomas had her there.
“Well, you could have had plausible deniability, at least until now,” she shot back.
“Yeah, well, I guess I’m involved now. What time do you want to go?”
“10:00. I figure that will be the perfect time. The last staff members will have left, and it will be before the cleaning crew comes in.” Marissa sounded like she was planning a heist or something.
“How do you know that?” Thomas seemed surprised.
“I have my ways, young Thomas. Just pick me up here at eight, and then we’ll head down.”
“Alright, if you say so. I don’t suppose I could talk you out of this, could I?”
“Thomas, do I seem like the kind of gal who takes ‘no’ for an answer?”
Thomas sighed. “I guess not.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.” Marissa hung up the phone. Only a few hours to prepare. She was nervous and excited at the same time.
On the way to the park, Marissa could tell that Thomas was nervous. He was gripping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it. “You can relax, you know. It’s not like we’ve done anything yet.”
Thomas realized what he was doing and loosened his grip. “Sorry. I’ve just never done anything like this before.”
“Well, neither have I, if it makes you feel any better.” Marissa tried to calm him down, even though it was a lie. During her time in Mexico, she learned how to break into various places, thanks to her guide down there, a former thief and drug smuggler named Ernesto. At the time, it seemed a bit superfluous to learn such things, but tonight it would come in handy yet again.
“Why aren’t you nervous then?” Thomas looked at Marissa, who was cold as ice. At least, compared to him.
“I dunno. I guess I’ve been in more intense situations than this, so I don’t feel as anxious.” Another lie. Her stomach was in knots. She wasn’t so much worried about getting caught than about what she could find. If she was able to connect the dots, she wasn’t sure where it would lead, or who would be involved. She was already on Nash’s radar, and she couldn’t get
help from the police unless she had something concrete. Even then, they could easily throw her in jail for illegally obtaining evidence. But, that was a bridge she’d have to cross later.
As they approached the outskirts of the park, Thomas started getting anxious again. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to go back, you know.” He sounded genuinely worried.
“I’ll be fine, Thomas, I promise. You can let me off by the entrance. I’ll find my way in.”
The van pulled over to the side of the road. Up ahead, they could see that the gate was locked. “How are you going to get in?” Thomas asked.
“I’ll figure something out.” Marissa smiled at him. “Now remember, don’t come for me unless I call you. If I don’t send you a message within the hour, head back without me.”
“What does that mean if I don’t hear from you?”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Marissa had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she pushed it out. “Wish me luck.” She got out of the van and checked her bag. She had everything she needed.
“Good luck,” Thomas muttered to himself. The van pulled away, leaving Marissa alone on the side of the road. As soon as he was out of sight, she pulled out her lock-picking kit. Thankfully, the park was not some ultra-secure compound. The only thing stopping her from getting in was a standard padlock. She had it unlocked in a flash.
As she made her way through the dense foliage, she cursed herself for not bringing a bigger flashlight. Although, if she had, it would be much easier to spot from a distance, so it was probably better that she left it in her hotel room. Still, navigating through the brush would be so much smoother if she could see more than a foot in front of her.
Up ahead, she could make out the silhouette of the ranger station, bathed in moonlight. There were no lights on, making the whole thing look surreal. Even though there was obviously no one there, she made sure to approach cautiously. She had avoided taking the main road for a reason; no sense in getting sloppy now.
Getting into the building was much harder than she anticipated. She had hoped that she could wrangle one of the windows open, but they were latched on the inside, which made that impossible. Instead, she managed to open the service door in the back, although it took longer than she thought it would. It seemed her skills were getting rusty. It had been a few years, after all.
Inside, she could only hear the sound of her breathing. Against the stark quiet of the building, it seemed like she was making a huge racket. Every few minutes, the air would kick in. The first time, she just about jumped out of her skin, but she slowly got used to it.
As she made her way to Nash’s office, the hairs on her neck and arms stood still. Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t like she hadn’t done anything like this before, but it feels different when you’re on your own. Having Ernesto with her made her feel more at ease.
Please don’t be locked, she thought as she approached Nash’s door. She hoped that she would get at least one freebie tonight. She pulled on the handle, and it opened without a hitch. Thank you, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Now it was the hard part. She had no idea what she was looking for, and she only had a little time to find it. Still, there had to be something connecting the rangers to Burton. If there was anything, it would be on Nash’s computer. The only thing that she worried about was if he password protected his computer.
She sat down in his chair, which was much more comfortable than she anticipated. She turned the computer on and crossed her fingers that there wouldn’t be a password. However, as she waited for it to boot up, she saw a sticky note on the side of his monitor. It listed his username and password. Well, that’s two freebies.
The computer booted up and she logged in. Where would the connection be? Most likely, he would’ve talked to Burton via email, or there would be a meeting or something scheduled between them. She opened his email folder and searched for Robert Burton. Nothing came up. She then searched for Nestor Chambon. Still nothing. Burton Development Strategies? Nada. A dead end. Perhaps his calendar would have something? She closed the email, when she suddenly had a thought. What about the trash?
She opened the list back up and went to his deleted emails. She typed in the same things. Robert Burton—nothing. Nestor Chambon—nothing. Burton Development Strategies—bingo. There were over a dozen emails from the company to Nash within the last year. She opened a few.
How are we on the Greenery Project? Is everything up to speed? The first few emails she read all talked about the “Greenery Project.” If they were talking to Nash about it, then that meant it was most likely something to do with the park.
Need approval from committee. I will let you know. Nash’s responses were just as vague. As she read them, it looked like they were purposefully keeping things as ambiguous as possible. Most likely whatever this project was was a secret. But if Burton was working with Nash, why would Nash kill him?
She looked at the signatures on the emails, but the ones from the company had no indication of who sent them. That meant that whoever it was made sure to be as anonymous as possible. What did this all mean? She read through all of the emails that she could find, but there was nothing that indicated who Nash was talking to or what the project was about. If Nash and Burton were in business together, it still didn’t make sense why he would kill him. Unless the emails were coming from someone else…
Suddenly, she saw lights out the window. She freaked out and closed everything on the computer. If they saw the light from the monitor, they would know that she was there. She turned it off as quickly as she could and then creeped out of the room. Her heart was pumping a mile a minute.
Rather than wait to see who it was, she made her way back to the service exit. To avoid getting caught, she waited to leave until she knew that whoever it was was inside. She hovered by the door, crouching down to stay out of sight. She felt like her breathing would give her away, but she tried to remain calm.
“Yeah, I’m here.” That sounded like Nash’s voice. He had to be talking on the phone. “He’s here with me,” Nash continued. Who is here with him?
She slowly opened the door and went outside. Now she had to figure out a way to get back to the road. Thomas would be waiting for her. She turned back and saw the light in Nash’s office turn on. She slowly backed away, still crouched down as much as possible. She was gripped in fear, but tried to steady herself.
Inside the office, Nash sat down at his computer. He was still on the phone. His guest waited outside. “Yeah, I’m going to do that now. Hold on.” He went to turn on his computer, but, to his surprise, it was already on. He always turned it off before he left. He wiggled the mouse, but the monitor didn’t come up. Someone had shut it off. Someone was just here.
“Hang on, I need to call you back.” Nash turned around and went to the window. It was that reporter. It had to be. He hung up and scanned the area. Was she still here?
Outside, Marissa slowly backed away into the brush. She had to double back the way she came, but she couldn’t risk being seen. She made her way along the tree line, staring at Nash’s window the whole time. Suddenly, she saw him looking out. Did he see her? She froze in place, hoping that she would blend in.
For what seemed like an eternity, she stared at the window. Nash looked around, but it didn’t seem like he was going to find her. Seconds later, their eyes met. Oh my god, she thought. Her heart leaped out of her chest. Please don’t see me, please don’t see me. Nash continued to stare in her direction. Could he see her? Or did she blend in? She dared not move, as that would give her away.
Headlights turned on as a truck started in the parking lot. Surprised, she flinched and backed up. Nash spotted her moving. Crap! she thought. In a flash, she ran. She headed away from the building, but instead of heading back out to the road, she went deeper into the park. If she was going to get away from them, she had to get lost in the woods.
Chapter 12
She had to sto
p running for a second. Her sides were hurting already. As she stopped to catch her breath, she found a log to sit on. She had been running for what seemed like forever, but had to only be a few minutes. She looked behind her to see if they were still following her. There was nothing. Did I lose them?
She looked up at the moon to try and get her bearings, but in the dark, everything looked the same. Her tiny flashlight continued to provide little help, which meant that she was now officially lost. No matter what, though, she had to find the access road so she could get out of there. Even if Nash wasn’t following her anymore, she couldn’t stay here overnight.
She got up from the log and started walking again. If she could find the river, then she could easily find her way out. She paused to listen for any running water, but only the sounds of the forest greeted her. Crickets, birds, and other animals kept the night air in a constant hum, which made it difficult to pick out any sounds of the river.
Suddenly, she heard something else; could it be a truck engine? She looked around and tried to pinpoint its location. She thought she saw headlights in the distance, but it could just have been her imagination.
I know, my GPS, she realized. How could she be so stupid? She pulled out her phone; no service. She waved it around, trying to find something resembling a signal, but there was nothing. Being deep in the woods meant that she might as well be on the moon. She checked the time, now was when she was supposed to call Thomas. What could she do? She had told him to leave if she didn’t call, so now what was going to happen? Would he really leave her?
She continued making her way through the forest, trying not to lose her footing. Some of the ground was slippery with mud. She almost ran into a spider’s web. Finally, moments later, she stepped out onto an access road. Yes! This was her path to freedom. She checked her phone again. Still nothing.
She started jogging down the road, still wary of her surroundings. She hadn’t seen any signs of Nash in the last few minutes. Maybe he hadn’t even gone after her? Was it possible that he didn’t actually see her?